The present invention relates to a button fastener, a method for forming a button fastener, an eyelet, and a method for forming an eyelet, and more specifically to a metallic button fastener with a cylindrical post to be passed through a cloth when a button such as a male snap button, a decorative button is fastened to the cloth, a method for forming such a button fastener, a metallic eyelet with a cylindrical part to be passed through a cloth to fasten the eyelet to the cloth, and a method for forming such an eyelet.
As a male snap button (male snap) of a set of snap buttons as widely used in e.g. parts to be put together of clothes or a decorative button to be fixed to e.g. corners of a pocket of jeans, one has been known which includes a disk-like flange and a protrusion which protrudes from the flange in its center area, the distal end of the protrusion being closed. When such a male snap button or a decorative button becomes fastened to a cloth, a button fastener is generally used, which is formed by drawing one metal plate and includes a base and a post projecting from a center part of the base. That is, after the post of the button fastener has just pierced the cloth, the post is received in an inside space of the protrusion of the male snap button or decorative button and then deformed to be fixed in the space, and thereby the button as e.g. the male snap is fastened to the cloth. Such a button fastener is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,351,987, for instance. Also, as an eyelet to be fixed to a cloth for passing air, water, etc., one has been known which comprises an eyelet body including a base and a cylindrical part projecting from the base, and an perforated member which is attached to the cylindrical part of the eyelet body from the outside.
In the above post of the button fastener formed from one metal plate, the distal end face and the proximal end face of the post are open as a top opening and a bottom opening, respectively. Therefore, when a button is fastened to a cloth, a piece of the cloth, which has been separated from the cloth by the post piercing the cloth, would catch on a swaged distal side part of the post, or a piece or part of the cloth which is not completely separated from the cloth would remain inside the post. In these cases, it would be possible to see the cloth piece from the bottom side of the base of the button fastener through the bottom opening, which would make the appearance less attractive. To avoid this, an additional work to eject the cloth piece through the bottom opening is needed. Further, a swaged distal side part of the post can be seen from the bottom opening, which may also cause disfigurement. Although a button fastener with the proximal end of the post closed has been known, such a button fastener cannot be produced by drawing one metal plate, and it needs an assembling step to attach a separate member to the bottom opening of the post, which involves increasing product cost. Besides, the above-mentioned eyelet for passing air, water, etc. needs the perforated member other than the eyelet body, increasing the material cost for that.    [Patent document 1] U.S. Pat. No. 3,351,987
An object of the invention as made in view of the above-mentioned problems is to provide a button fastener and a method for forming the button fastener with which a piece of a cloth, which may remain within a post of the button fastener as being completely or incompletely separated from the cloth during fastening a button to the cloth, or a swaged distal part of the post cannot be seen from the back side of the button fastener, enhancing the appearance as seen from the back side, and to provide a button fastener and a method for forming the button fastener which can be made from one metal plate cost advantageously.
Another object of the invention is to provide an eyelet and a method for forming the eyelet for passing air, water, etc. which can be made cost advantageously.